Poetry Writing | Writing Forward

Three Poetry Writing Exercises

If you’re going to exercise, it’s a good idea to warm up first. That way, you’ll get your body geared up to do the heavy lifting, the hard running, and the strenuous workout. Writing’s no different. Poetry writing exercises are ideal when you’re feeling uninspired or lazy, or maybe your poetry is getting stale and…Read More

How to Construe and Convey Tone in Poetry

In literature, tone is the mood, attitude, or emotional sensibility of a written work. In poetry, tone expresses the narrator’s disposition toward the poem’s subject, the reader, or the narrative itself. We might describe a poem’s tone as irreverent, relaxed, sarcastic, solemn, jubilant, or desperate. Tone can be any emotion or state of mind, and a…Read More

Seasonal Poetry Prompts for Spring and Summer

Poets have a long tradition of honoring the seasons by writing odes. Poetry celebrates spring and summer for bringing renewal to the land and warmth to our lives. Rebirth is a common theme in poetry, so the spring season, with its fresh skies and new shoots, is a rejuvenating source of inspiration. Summer is packed…Read More

Poetry: Rhythm and Meter

Rhythm is everywhere: we hear it in the hum of vehicles and appliances. We feel it when we walk or run. We see it in the very rising and setting of the sun. Even our hearts beat to a rhythm. Rhythm is built into the way we experience and perceive the world. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary offers several…Read More

Poetry Prompts for Fall

It seems like summer always passes too quickly and winter lasts too long. Maybe that’s why fall is a favorite season for so many people. It seems to hang around just long enough. It’s not too hot, not too cold — a mild, colorful, and comfortable season. Every fall, my creativity goes into overdrive, and…Read More

Breaking Grammar Rules in Poetry Writing

Accomplished writers respect the rules of grammar the way an acrobat respects the tightrope — grammar might be intimidating and complicated, but we need it in order to perform. Yet sometimes, an acrobat takes her foot off the tightrope. She does a flip or some other trick of physical prowess that seems to defy the…Read More

How to Improve Your Poetry Skills

Poetry writing requires no license, no education, and no experience. All you need to get started is a pen and some paper. In fact, many writers discovered their calling because they were compelled to write poetry at a young age. But there’s a big difference between writing poetry and writing good poetry. Opinions about the…Read More

Writing Resources: The Practice of Poetry

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions for this website from qualifying purchases. When it comes to poetry writing resources, there are some special books out there that will help make you a better reader and a more well-rounded writer. Some academics argue that poetry is an intellectual pursuit, but that’s only partially true….Read More

A Selection of Poetry Prompts from 1200 Creative Writing Prompts

Today’s poetry prompts come from my book, 1200 Creative Writing Prompts, which is jam-packed with ideas and inspiration for writers and includes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction writing prompts. Some of the poetry prompts in the book ask you to use a list of specific words in a poem. Some give you a topic to…Read More

What is Poetry?

Prose Bewitched When I read Mina Loy’s description of poetry as “prose bewitched,” I felt like someone had captured the true essence of poetry for the first time. We often struggle to define abstract or obtuse concepts. One of the greatest and most challenging questions of all time is, “What is art?” Although dictionaries attempt…Read More